Vent valve structure



Jan. 22, 19 2 A. c. GOODRICH VENT VALVE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 19, 1946 Patented Jan. 22, 1952 VENT VALVE STRUCTURE Alonzo C. Goodrich, Winnetka, Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,143

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to vent valves for radiators and other parts of heating systems. More particularly the invention relates to vent valves for steam heating systems in which valves the discharge of air automatically ceases as soon as steam fills the radiator, or as soon as water attempts to pass through the valve.

Valves of this character have been connected to an upright radiator by means of a lateral nipple and have been heretofore equipped with a rigid siphonic drain tube passing horizontally through the nipple and bent downward at its outer end. The inner end of the tube is coupled to the valve structure by means of a slip joint to permit self adjustmentdepending on the size of the section of the radiator. Due to thegreat variety of radiators, it has been impossible to provide the necessary amount of self-adjustment, thus the valve is oftentimes impaired in its function or not able to function at all. some of the radiators have narrow interior passages and when the syphon tube is inserted it becomes jammed and tilts the horizontal leg upward or the tube end is turned so that it is in an upward position instead of a downward position. In order to overcome some of these difiiculties the steam fitter frequently will cut off or rebend the tube thus impairing the valves operability.

An object of this invention is to provide a valve with an improved syphon drain tube.

Another object is to provide a vent valve with a. self righting syphon drain tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple self-adjusting syphon drain for a vent valve and through which the water can freely gravitate.

Another and further object is to provide a syphon tube for a vent valve which is simple to install and economical to make.

In accordance with the features of this invention there is provided a valve with an improved syphon drain tube that can be inserted into any type radiator without sliding adjustment and which will fit in any size interior passageway without jamming into a tilted position, and the end of the syphon tube will always be in a downward position, so that at all times the valve will drain freely.

Other features relate to forming the aforesaid drain tube of resiliently flexible material and of weighting the free end thereof so that the tube will be self-righting.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accom- 2 panying drawings which illustrate several embodiments thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a vent valve embodying the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of a radiator vent valve partially in elevation and partially in vertical cross section, and of a vertical fragmentary sectional view of a radiator column illustrating the manner in which the valve and the vent valve draining tube are mounted in the column;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the valve and of the valve draining means showing the flared insert; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the weighted free end of the valve draining means.

It will, of course, be understood that like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings wherein I have shown one form of vent valve embodying the invention, the construction illustrated has a valve I which may be any suitable, known or approved construction. As shown, it comprises a casing 2, a base 3 having an inlet 4 by means of which it is connected to the radiator column 6. Within the casing there is a false bottom I which is fastened in position and a float 8 that may rest upon this bottom. The falst bottom wall 1 opposite the inlet is provided with an opening 9" to receive the flexible drain designated generally by the reference character iii, which will nowbe described.

In order to enable the valve to free itself of water, the flexible drain tube In which is of smaller diameter than the bore of the inlet 4, is inserted through the inlet bore with one end l3 inserted and secured by flaring in the false bottom at 9 and the other end is weighted and hanging in a downward position. The flexible drain tube II] is composed of a flexible tube II and two hollow or tubular cylindrical inserts l2 and I3 located one at each end of the tube II. The inserts l2 and 13 are each held in cooperation with the flexible tubing by a ridge I l-l5 located on the outside circumference of each of the inserts to keep the flexible tubing from slipping off the inserts. Within the false bottom I is a chamber I6 within which the water of condensation collects and from which the water is removed by capillary action through the drain H1. The tube ,end insert I3 which is within the chamber has been flared at I! to give more surface at the en-,

trance of the tube.

The tube ll may be made of rubber, plastic material such as neoprene or sirvene, cloth, asbestos, or other suitable material, and the end inserts I2 and [3 may be made of any suitable material, such as metal although non-corrosive metal is preferable.

The use and operation of my invention is as follows:

The ventvalvewith the flexible syphon tube is;

inserted and :connected with the radiator. No adjustment of the syphon tube is necessary when connecting the valve because the tube will adjust itself due to its flexibility to conform to theout line of the interior passageway of the radiator.

There will be no tilting of the inlet end due to, the syphon tube bearing against thewall ofthe;

syphontube as there will be no restrictions due to the jamming of an improperly fitting syphon. tube as the syphon tube will always tend to be in the right position hanging downward, due to the weighted end. Thus the tube need notbe rebent" by the steamy fitter. tofiteach individual. typeradiator. Itwillbe observed that the novel characteristics of the valve connection obviate the difficulties met, with in the useof rigid syphonic tubes;

The flexible syphon tube as shown and de-- scribed is smaller in diameterthan the .inlet bore whicl lprovides means of free movement of the tubewithin the bore and also provides a separate passageway within the bore for air.

It'will, of course, be. understood that various details of constructionmay be varied througha wide range without departingfrom the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vent valve, a drain comprising a flexible non-metallic tube,an insert having a flared end rotatably mountedjin the"valve'; tlre other end of said insert being attached to said flexible tube, a weight insert attached to the other and free end of the flexible tube as a weight thereon to hold saidflexible tube in a downward position for'exhausting the water in the said valve.

2.; In aventvalve including a casing having a vent porh-a float-I valve for opening and closing the port and a-condensation chamber, the combination, of a connector the inner end of which is rotatably' held in the condensation chamber bya flared end portion, a flexible drain tube secured at one end to the outer end of said connector; andhavingtheother. end arranged torbe freely. disposed exteriorly of the casing a weight. member atthefree end of said flexible drain tube:

for urging ,the end of the tube downwardly to: hang freely,s aid connector-beingheld at alltimes by the walls of thecondensation chamber in a,., substantially horizontal position to permit drain-v age of-waten from the condensation "chamber.

ALONZO C; GOODRIQH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references: are? ofi record in the file of. this patent: V

UNITED' STATES PATENTS-J Zelnis e May 25, 1943, 

